The electronics store consisted of 3 floors and was owned by Varas Electronics. Varas electronics was a subsidiary company of Varas International, dealing with multiple fields relating to technology and electronics. Upon entering, Xander immediately looked for a salesperson to help him find the items he wanted to buy.
After a few seconds, a young lady in her 20s approached him. She was wearing salesperson attire.
"Welcome to Varas Electronics. My name is Eleide. How can I help you today?" Eleide greeted Xander politely. After all, everyone was a potential customer once they set foot into the store. Although Xander was dressed weirdly, she didn't dare question his tastes because who knew if the person in front of him was an eccentric cultivator.
"Hmm. I'm looking for two things: A virtual reality console and a communicator. For the communicator, I want it able to connect to my account in the virtual reality program, [Second Life], allowing me to receive, read, and respond to messages sent to me whether it be a voice, video, or written message. I also want perfect coverage within the borders of the Empire; meaning, no disconnections whatsoever. I also want it to be able to connect to the internet, and play mobile games as well." Xander said, his voice is quite soft compared to his current persona, Homer Simpson.
Eleide thought for a moment before nodding.
"Alright, I'll introduce you first the virtual reality consoles. Please follow me to the next floor." Eleide walked towards the second floor, where Xander was greeted with the sight of different helmets, capsules, and even a suit...? Seeing the confused look in Xander, Eleide began to explain.
"This floor is where the VR console models are being sold and showcased. Our company sells 3 models: Capsule, Portable, and Suit models."
"VR: Capsule model is designed for at-home or at-office use, basically to be used in places where it would not be disturbed or easily moved. It basically contains the features of both Portable and Suit models, but even more. It is created with an Adamanite-Hardite alloy, allowing the person to comfortably use VR even if an earthquake happened or the planet was continuously razed by a Demigod-9 cultivator. It can last 1 hit against a Divine-1 cultivator.
The VR capsule offers a near 99.999999998% immersion rate to the virtual world. Not only that, you can save and load multiple VR programs besides [Second Life], allowing you to access both private and public VR programs. It also has a health monitor, allowing you to set the maximum number of days you can stay in the virtual world before being safely ejected 99.9999999% of the time. It also has the best cooling and heating magic runes, even allowing you to survive in space for more than 3 months if you are below Mythic class and if ever the situation arises that you leave the planet's boundaries. The price of the latest model, CM-10000, or the 1000th generation of the Capsule series, is at 1.8 million galaxy coins."
"VR: Portable model is designed for those on-the-go, and didn't care much about the immersion rate. Portable helmets can only reach 99.9998% immersion rate to the virtual world and are made with a cheaper alloy, Cardite-Hardite alloy, which allows it to survive attacks from anyone below Demigod-6. Each helmet can only be designated for 1 VR program; you must buy a specific helmet for other VR programs. It has a default 30-day limit in entering the VR program, wherein you will be ejected safely and automatically 99.9999999% of the time. The price of the latest model for [Second Life], SLP-5000, or the 500th generation of the Portable series, is 300,000 galaxy coins."
"Last but not least, the VR: Suit model combines the functions of the Capsule model while retaining its portability. It is an armor-type VR console that rapidly expands from a simple command, covering the entire body of the owner. It can last 2 hits against a Divine-2 cultivator, and upon reaching its limit, it will automatically jettison you for a total distance of 1 light-year to call for reinforcements from your contacts, from the military, or from the government who are within 5 light-years of your location.
This only happens if you are detected to be within the borders of the Empire and in space. If you are within the borders of the empire but in an exoplanet with a civilization present, the machine will contact the officers within the civilization of the planet instead. It also has the same cooling and heating capability the capsule has, as well as element filtration runes to ensure that you won't be killed through its ventilation system. The latest model available for public use, SMP-500, the 50th generation of the Suit series, costs 5.5 million galaxy coins."
Xander thought for a moment before he decided to get the Portable model. After all, he wasn't a citizen of the empire, and he had no home or office to speak of. His goal of getting the machine is to access the VR program, where it is said to hold the database of all pseudo-spells for every member of the empire's perusal. These pseudo-spells are basically downgraded versions of Master (Advanced), Legendary, Mythic, and Demigod rank spells. Right now, Xander had 5 Master spells; if he broke through to Master class, he would immediately be a Master-5 stage magician.
He was just lacking a space-time pseudo-spell, and he was just trying his luck to see whether the empire has it in their database, whether it be classified wrongly or classified as is. Or else, he might have to resort to combining [Temporal Replication] and [Space Crush] into another spell, then create a downgraded version from it. He wasn't even sure if it works though, so he decided to exhaust all options first.
Eleide, hearing Xander's choice, nodded before saying, "Okay, let's go downstairs and select the communicator. Please follow me."
Both of them headed down to the first floor, where Eleide showed Xander 3 models of communicators they currently were selling.
"The company currently sells 3 model types: Watch, Classic, and Biological."
"The watch model is basically the standardized smartwatch model in the empire, with the majority of its functions and interface done through hologram projection. Its features include a health tracker, perfect signal, meaning it can use any of the known bandwidths used by the Empire, and being able to sync to VR programs. It also uses the latest quantum computing technology available for communicators, making sure that time will always be accurate no matter where you are depending on the set planet in the settings, and all the computing tasks are easily resolved. The material alloy used ensures stability, structural integrity, and protection from external forces. Enabling it to survive in the toughest of conditions. It has been tested to be able to resist the power of a Divine-1 cultivator. The total price of the latest model, WM-1000 Max, is 150,000."
"The classic model is the standard tablet form communication, with sizes ranging from 6.3 to 8.9 inches for screen size. The majority of its functions are done through touching the screen interface, but it can also project holographic photos and videos, allowing it not to lose out to the watch model. Its features also include perfect signal (within the empire) and being able to sync to VR programs, and uses the latest quantum computing technology available to communicator models to ensure that all your tasks are easily resolved. The material alloy used ensures stability, structural integrity, and protection from external forces; it has been stress-tested in the toughest of conditions, even managing to retain its functions and shape after receiving an attack from a Divine-3 cultivator. The total price of the latest model, CM-3000 Max, is 150,000."
"The last model, the biological, is a recent developing trend in the electronics field. This is a biological augmentation wherein you allow a biological-based electronic material to be placed anywhere in your body. In the field of communicators, we at Varas Electronics have 3 prime locations for biologicals: The arm, the back of one's hand, and one of your eyes. It has all the benefits that the watch model has, as well as self-contained (isolated) artificial intelligence monitoring your health, vitality, magic energy and elemental energy in your body. Not only that, but the biological-based material used can also seamlessly integrate into one's body 99.999999%, ensuring that there would be no problem concerning magic and elemental energy circulation. Because of the percentage, we usually offer this model to cultivators who can't cultivate or those that are above Demigod class. Currently, the latest model, BCM-1000, or the 100th generation model, is priced at 700,000 for its lowest specs. If you want to add more features, you have to pay additional."
After finishing her spiel, Eleide looked at Xander, waiting for him to decide which model he would take. Xander, on the other hand, didn't care much of the Biological model and instead said to Eleide,
"I'll get the latest watch model and the classic model."
"Great choice sir! I almost forgot, but because of our partnership with multiple telecommunication companies in the empire, you would also gain 20 years of unlimited, free data usage, before charging you 10 galaxy coins/year for unlimited data usage." Eleide said, elated that she had already done a large deal on the first 2 hours in the shift. Eleide then led Xander towards the cashier, where he was to pay for the 3 items he had bought.
"You have bought the VR Portable console model; this comes up to 300,000 galaxy coins. The total cost of the 2 communicators you have selected is 300,000 galaxy coins. You have to pay a total of 600,000 galaxy coins. Would you pay via credit or bank transfer?"
"Bank Transfer," Xander replied. He just wanted to get this over with.
"Alright, please place your identification card on top of the scanner."
"Received 600,000 galaxy coins. Thank you, Mr. Simpson, for your patronage of our store. We hope to see you again in the future!" Eleide said, after packing the 3 items and presenting it to Xander.
Xander just nodded and brought the things he had outside the store, and headed to a deserted alleyway, where he quickly put the items in the space storage.
He headed out to eat some food, as there were a lot of bazaar-type of food stalls all over the city. There were some weird looking delicacies that didn't match their looks; a dumpling that was crunchy even if its outer look seemed soft and moist. They also had some cutlets, numerous new sauces that seemed ingenious in preparation.
After spending nearly 5,000 galaxy coins, he walked around for a bit more to relax.
He then headed out to one of the auction houses in the city. There was a total of 3 large auction houses, and 5 smaller auction houses catering to specific products for auction.